Distrito Taquería Tasting
In case you didn’t already know, Distrito got a bit of a makeover over the summer. We speculate that the change has something to do with catering to students’ needs, because the first floor of the high end Mexican restaurant has been converted into Distrito Taqueria, featuring, obviously, tacos. The new eatery is more casual in spirit than the formal restaurant, which will continue to exist on the second floor of the building.
The interior of the restaurant is as colorful as ever, with festive paper flags adorning the walls, market lights, and colorful floral table tops. In addition to the table in the old buggy, there is also a playful swing-set table on a bed of turf grass and replacing the normal tables are picnic tables and tall, round tables, giving the place a more playful atmosphere.
I (Maggie) tried two of the restaurant’s most popular tacos: the Ropa Vieja and the Al Pastor. In English, Ropa Vieja translates to dirty clothes, because the spicy chipotle-braised chicken may in some ways resemble wrinkled up clothes. The chicken was enveloped in two fresh corn tortillas and sprinkled with chopped green onions for a kick of freshness. For those seeking a sweeter flavor, the Al Pastor taco is a must. The pork drenched in guajillo glaze was the perfection combination of sugar and heat.
I (Elena) tried the tofu burrito, since I am a vegetarian. It was a hefty beast, filled with tofu chorizo, black beans, and rice in a lightly browned tortilla. The tofu was so flavorful that it was barely distinguishable from actual meat. I told myself that I wasn’t going to eat the whole thing, but then it was gone…
Finally, they served us their super nachos (sans meat), consisting of tortilla chips topped with queso mixto, rajas, black beans, chile de arbol, crema, cilantro, and thinly sliced radishes. They were addicting, as nachos should be, but also much more complex than your average plate of chips covered in neon orange “cheese”. I love when the chips get soft after absorbing all the cheesy, beany, creamy goodness.
-Maggie Molen and Elena Crouch